Moving Forward

"That's a nice way to be woken up in the morning." Punk smirked, watching AJ appear from under the covers on top of him as she smiled and kissed him passionately, after spending some time at his lower region.

"Setting you up for the day, baby." AJ smiled, lying on top of him, looking into his eyes, "There's something I want to talk to you about." She said as Punk looked at her.

"And what's that?" Punk questioned, "It's gotta be something bad… that was you buttering me up for it." He realised as AJ shook her head.

"No, well… depends on how you take it." AJ said, "I think I… I think I want to have another baby." She nodded as Punk looked into her eyes, "Seems ridiculous after what happened yesterday with Viv but… everything that happened, everything that was going on… it made me appreciate everything we have." She nodded, "My only concern is… I lose it again. I don't wanna go through that." She admitted truthfully.

"Hey, they done tests afterwards and… it wasn't anything you did." Punk reminded her, "It happens. It's so common." He nodded, "I just don't want you to feel anxious about it. If it's not what you want then… then so be it."

"I do want it, though." AJ nodded, "I want another baby." She said, "I'm just nervous about it." She admitted, "What do you think? If you don't want one, it's fine-"

"Of course I do." Punk nodded, "I mean… I think three is probably enough." He said, just to be sure as she nodded.

"Yeah, I should think so." AJ laughed a little.

"I just want you to be happy." Punk nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear, "And if another baby makes you happy then… another baby it is." He smiled.

"Yeah but you always say that and I always wonder if it's actually what you want. You shouldn't agree to things just to make me happy." AJ made clear.

"I know that. If I didn't want one I'd tell you but… why not? We got the money, we've not got anyone breathing down our necks anymore." He said, "Of course it's what I want."

"Yeah?" AJ questioned with a smile as he nodded.

"Yeah." He whispered, cupping her cheeks as AJ smiled, "Give me a few minutes…" Punk looked under the covers, "And we can get this thing started." He said as AJ chuckled.

"I have to wait until I'm ovulating." AJ rolled her eyes, "But I'm still going to take you up on that offer." She smirked, kissing the corner of his mouth, stroking him underneath the covers, suddenly hearing the sound of footsteps running around the hall outside as AJ groaned and rested her head on his chest.

"Can we just ignore them?" Punk asked her as AJ smiled.

"You think you can handle three?" AJ smiled.

"Piece of cake." Punk scoffed as AJ smiled, kissing him playfully before they figured they had to get up and attend to their children.

"What are you doing?" Vivian whispered, sitting on the sun lounger beside AJ's as AJ turned to her and took her sunglasses off.

"What?" AJ shook her head with a smile.

"Why are you just… why are you just sitting there?" Vivian asked, puzzled as to why her mother was just lying staring at the sun. She didn't really understand the concept of sunbathing, nor relaxing of course, as a three year old.

"I'm just relaxing." AJ said as Vivian sat, wearing her swimsuit but with her t-shirt over her. Her hair was still in two crazy pony tails at either side, and she had a sun hat hanging off her head.

"You look bored." Vivian mumbled, fixing her drawings in front of her as AJ just smiled.

"Trust me, baby. I am not bored." AJ chuckled to herself. She couldn't remember the last time she got to relax and chill out, enjoy the sun, and not worry about things.

AJ then watched as Vivian sat, watching Raimy and Punk having fun in the pool, almost wishing she could be in there with them.

"You ok?" AJ asked her as Vivian nodded, "Baby, you can go back into the water with your swimmies on. You'll be ok." AJ assured her as Vivian shook her head.

"Can you come in with me?" Vivian asked, reaching over for her mother's hand as AJ smiled. The girls went through different phases of seeking comfort in each parent. Normally if they were scared or worried, it was always their father they liked to go to, but for some reason, Vivian felt most protected around her mother.

"Of course I can." AJ nodded, "Here, let's get these on you first." She said, taking the water wings and putting them on her arms.

"I don't think they're on right." Vivian said as AJ looked at her.

"They are." AJ nodded, "Look." She pushed them a little further as Vivian flapped her arms around.

"Are you sure?" Vivian asked as AJ smiled and nodded.

"I promise, they're on right." AJ assured her as Vivian nodded.

AJ tied her hair up in a messy bun, standing up in her bikini as Vivian watched her.

"I like your hair like that." Vivian smiled sweetly as AJ laughed a little.

"What? Messy?" AJ smiled as Vivian nodded, "You're sweet." AJ nodded, taking her hand walking over to the pool.

"Oh, you're getting in." Raimy smiled, noticing her mother and her sister were getting in. She was glad Vivian was getting back in after the incident from yesterday.

"Just with mommy." Vivian made clear as Raimy just nodded, looking up at her father.

"She'll come around." Punk nodded to her, in a daze as he watched his wife getting into the pool.

"Daddy." Raimy said as Punk was in a trance, "Dad." She said a little louder.

"Huh? What?" Punk turned to her.

"Go get the ball." Raimy said as Punk noticed he'd let go of the ball in the midst of admiring his wife in her bikini.

"Yeah, right." Punk nodded.

Meanwhile AJ stood in the pool whilst Vivian sat on the edge with just her feet in, still not sure if she wanted to get fully in.

"Come on, I'll hold you." AJ assured her, extending her arms out.

"Ok." Vivian nodded, letting AJ lift her into the pool. She immediately wrapped her little arms around her neck and her little legs around her body, clinging on for dear life as AJ smiled, turning around and looking over at Punk who smiled.

"Hey, look. Now you're in." AJ smiled. She'd always encourage them to conquer their fears, and do it on their terms.

Vivian looked around, realising she was in the midst of the water, holding onto her mother tightly.

"Hey, look at you." Punk smiled.

"Why don't you try swim over to daddy? He's just there." AJ pointed as Vivian looked over, wondering if she could do it or not, "Your swimmies will keep you above the water, it's ok." AJ nodded as Vivian nodded, jumping out of her arms and swimming over as AJ smiled.

"Hey, look at you." Punk smiled happily as Vivian smiled, happy with herself as she reached her father who pulled her into his arms.

Meanwhile AJ made her way over to Raimy who was playing with the ball, "Hey, you having fun?" AJ smiled as Raimy nodded.

"I'm glad Vivian came back in." Raimy said as AJ smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, me too." AJ smiled. She was glad she could give her children a childhood that was such a far cry from hers. The truth was, whilst it was her children's first time going on vacations, doing homework, learning new things, it also was AJ's first time doing those things. She never had vacations with her parents, or got the chance to go to school, but she was so glad her children did.

"Can we play with the ball?" Raimy asked her as AJ smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. But… I will win." AJ said cockily as Raimy scoffed.

"Ok, mommy." Raimy humoured her as AJ smiled, watching her swim over a little with the ball whilst Vivian was playing with her father, getting over her water fear rather quickly.

"I'm glad she got back in." AJ nodded, walking outside later that night over to the outdoor table where a few candles were lit, passing Punk a drink as she sat down beside him on the swing type chair, under the fairy lights. It was nice to have time to themselves later on once the girls were put to bed.

"Yeah, she's not scared to face her fears." Punk nodded, "They both get that from you." He said, wrapping his arm around her and kissing her head as she smiled.

"You're pretty brave yourself." AJ smiled, "I'm just glad we can give them this. I was thankful for basic things like… clothes, underwear… a toothbrush when I was little." She nodded, "All of this is sort of new to me too." She admitted, "I'm sure you feel the same." She looked up at him as he nodded.

"Yeah, I-I'd never been on vacation until we took the girls." Punk admitted honestly, "But you're right, it's ncie to give them that." He nodded, looking down at her, "Don't you ever feel… trapped?" He asked her as she looked up with confusion.

"What do you mean?" AJ questioned.

"So much of your life is… it's a secret. It probably always will be. In order for you to carry on." Punk said, "I mean you live under a different name." He said as she looked back down, "Don't you wish sometimes-"

"No." AJ said, "Because I don't have to." She said, looking up at him, "You know the real me and so do our close friends. That will always be enough. I don't feel trapped. I feel normal." She admitted honestly.

"You shouldn't have to hide who you are, though." Punk sighed.

"When it comes to me, I think I do." AJ said, "It just opens up so much more unwanted attention. My past isn't just… working for the Russian government. It's prison, it's my ex-boyfriend, it's faking my death multiple times using different identities." She said as Punk nodded, "As long as you know the real me… I don't care." She looked up at him as he smiled.

"What about… when the girls get older and they ask?" Punk questioned, "They're gonna notice why I call you April but you sign a different name on their school permission forms." He said as AJ nodded.

"I've thought about that." AJ nodded, "I think when they get old enough… I'll explain to them everything. I know it's a big risk but… I plan on being close to them and… working through things, even when it's difficult." She nodded, "Right now it'll just have to be something like… mommy has two names." She shrugged.

"Yeah." Punk nodded.

"Does it bother you?" AJ asked, wondering why he was asking.

"Of course it doesn't. You're here with me and I don't care about anything else. I just… I didn't know if it was something you thought about." He said.

"Of course I do but… it's all too complicated. It's better this way. You know every rotten thing about me and that's how it's gonna stay. No one else is gonna get close enough to know." She promised him as he smiled, kissing her head.

"Hey, you know… I think we'll need to do some practise runs for… trying for this baby." Punk admitted as AJ looked up at him and laughed a little.

"You want to practise having sex?" AJ questioned.

"We gotta get in a rhythm, don't we?" Punk teased as she laughed a little.

"Hey, you should know by now you don't have to convince me to do anything. I'm already there." She smirked, climbing over him and straddling him, pressing her lips against his softly as he kissed back, placing his hands at the small of her back. She then began to laugh against his mouth once she felt the swing start to move back and forth a little.

"I think we should take this somewhere else." AJ mouthed against the kisses as Punk chuckled and nodded, standing up with her and taking her inside onto the kitchen table.